WHAT MAKES A POULTRYMAN? 7 



(hen) reason for the special course which, she desires to 

 follow. Because it is a part of her nature to steal aside 

 and lay a nestful of eggs for the incubation of her pro- 

 spective brood, she likes a rather dark and quiet stow- 

 away nest, even when housed under artificial conditions, 

 and she likes it better and better as it becomes fuller 

 and fuller of eggs. Because of this innate feeling, she 

 will choose a nest containing a nest egg before one 

 which is empty, other things being equal. 



But, suppose that it is not a matter of nest eggs. 

 Suppose that there is a full tier of nests made comfort- 

 able and inviting, each with its dummy egg, and placed 

 just where you want her to lay ; suppose that she persists, 

 as one hen, though there may be a dozen or more of her, 

 in laying in another, less desirable, nest, or even on the 

 floor in the corner ? The average handler will be sure 

 to " Drat her ! " as a silly, stupid, and, above all, obsti- 

 nate good-for-nothing, when all the time the probable 

 reason and a perfectly logical one for the bird's 

 seemingly erratic action is that the man has omitted to 

 provide a suitable alighting board in front of the nests. 

 In her efforts to fly full tilt directly into the nest from 

 the floor, her outspread wings strike its sides, and, fail- 

 ing to double herself up into it, as she drops back, she 

 goes to the floor. A dozen failures bruise and discourage 

 her. After watching her till she becomes discouraged, and 

 obstinate in depositing her egg in the floor litter, shall we 

 not rather say : a stupid, unseeing man who has not 

 tried to learn the needs or the ways of the hen, but has 

 insisted on her doing things in his way when circum- 

 stances which lie Jias provided made it impossible, or at 

 least very difficult, for her to meet his wishes ? 



